Pope voices deep concern over Iran escalation, calls for peace

Israel’s military said on Sunday that its air force struck two Iranian F-5 and F-4 fighter jets at Tabriz airport in western Iran as they were prepared for takeoff.

In a statement, the military said the strike aimed to degrade the Iranian air force’s operations and further weaken the aerial defenses.

The military said it continued to target infrastructure belonging to the Iranian government to prevent threats against Israel.

The European Union’s foreign policy chief called Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei’s killing “a defining moment in Iran’s history,” and said a possible path had opened toward greater freedom for Iranians.

“What comes next is uncertain, but there is now an open path to a different Iran, one that its people may have greater freedom to shape,” Kaja Kallas said on Sunday.

“I’m in contact with partners, including those in the region that bear the brunt of Iran’s military actions, to find practical steps for de-escalation,” she added in a post on X.

UK Defense Secretary John Healey said on Sunday that two missiles fired from Iran traveled in the direction of Cyprus, where Britain has military bases, but he did not believe the projectiles were aimed at UK facilities.

“We are pretty sure they weren’t targeted at our bases,” Healey said in comments to British media.

He added that the incident showed “how indiscriminate” Iran’s retaliation against US-Israeli strikes is.

Healey also said 300 British military personnel were close to targets in Bahrain, where Iranian missiles struck, adding that “some of them were in several hundred yards of the missile strikes.”

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Sunday that Israel would strike thousands of targets in the coming days and urged Iranians to seize a rare chance to overthrow the Islamic Republic.

“In the coming days we will strike thousands of targets of the terror regime,” Netanyahu said on X, adding that Israel would create conditions for the brave people of Iran to free themselves from the chains of despotism.

He urged Iranians to join mass street demonstrations, writing: “Do not miss this opportunity. This is an opportunity that comes only once in a generation.”

Alireza Arafi, Iranian cleric and a member of the Guardian Council, was selected as a member of the Leadership Council following the death of Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, the spokesperson for Iran’s Expediency Council said on Sunday.

The other two members of the Leadership Council aresaid to be President Masoud Pezeshkian and Judiciary chief Gholamhossein Mohseni Ejei.